Gravity's Rainbow

GRAVITY'S RAINBOW
by Thomas Pynchon

 Award: National Book Winner 1974

 Nomination: NY Times Finalist 1973

 Date Read: May 5, 2020

 Gravity's Rainbow is nominally a novel set in post-WWII Europe, focusing on the design and launch of a rocket by the German military. I had read quite a bit about this novel and was prepared for it to be convoluted, lengthy and controversial. Indeed, it was all these things.

 My take is that Gravity's Rainbow is deeply confusing, overly long, tangential and somewhat perverse, yet there is no denying that Pynchon is possibly a mad genius. He takes on so many topics in this novel that I marvel at his knowledge of a host of topics that I never contemplated and, hopefully, never will again. Based on these plusses, I can see why it garnered the accolades that it did. The sheer amount of research involved, and the accuracy of the formulas, codes and sequences, is mind boggling.

 Pynchon won the National Book Award for Gravity's Rainbow, yet refused to accept it. Many regard it as one of the best American novels of all time, however, in my humble opinion, I feel like I just took an acid trip with a shot of novocaine. I am glad that I rose to this challenge, completed it and am moving on with my life.

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